What happens when you start a file with us
Decided to go ahead with us? Here is exactly what follows, stage by stage — including what it costs and what we cannot promise.
From the first consultation to the flight, and what we do at each point.
Free consultation and assessment
We look at your results, your English position and your budget, and tell you honestly which countries and programmes are realistic — including when the answer is that this year is not the year.
Country, university and programme
A shortlist chosen to give you the best chance of admission, spread across safe, target and reach options, with every funding route we can find.
Documents
A clear list of what is needed, then the work of getting it: attestation, translation, the Statement of Purpose and the CV.
Application and offer letter
Submitted to the right intake through the right portal, then followed through to the offer or admission letter.
Proof of funds and visa file
Bank statements and financial documents assembled to the standard the embassy expects, plus preparation for the interview.
Visa, flight and arrival
Once the visa is in hand: tickets, insurance, an arrival briefing, and an introduction to students already there.
Everything we know is published on this site, so applying alone is genuinely possible — and for some students it is the right call. This is what changes when someone experienced is doing it with you.
Choosing the right country and programme
With us: A shortlist checked against your actual profile
On your own: Your own judgement, and a long wait to find out if it was wrong
Finding the funding
With us: DSU, Stipendium, Erasmus+ and university awards, checked against your eligibility
On your own: Most of it never surfaces in a search
SOP and document quality
With us: Reviewed against what admissions and visa officers look for
On your own: Small errors that cost an application
Building the visa file
With us: Experienced hands and a checklist that has been used many times
On your own: Your first time, with no way to check it
Interview preparation
With us: The questions your embassy actually asks, rehearsed
On your own: Guessing at what will come up
Someone to ask when it goes wrong
With us: Direct support at every stage
On your own: Forums, and hoping
The 'no visa, no fee' protection
With us: Yes — we take a share of the risk
On your own: None
No visa, no fee
If a properly prepared application does not result in a visa, our service fee is returned. Third-party costs sit outside that, and we set them out before you commit to anything.
What does ScholarsDream charge?
The first consultation is free, and our service fee falls due only after the visa is granted — that is what "no visa, no fee" means. The exact fee depends on the country and programme and is stated clearly before any work begins. There are no hidden charges, and government, university and VFS fees are separate and paid by you directly to those bodies.
Do you guarantee a visa?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Visa decisions are made by embassies and immigration authorities, not by consultancies. We do not publish a success-rate percentage either, because it would not be verifiable. What we commit to is preparing the strongest, most honest file we can, and telling you plainly when an application is weak or a country is unrealistic for your profile.
Can I apply on my own instead of using a consultancy?
Yes, and for some students that is the right choice. This website deliberately publishes the full country fact sheets, cost tables, document checklists and a ten-stage step-by-step guide so that applying independently is genuinely possible. Use us when you want the file checked by someone who has seen the refusal reasons, or when the process itself is the obstacle.
More questions? See the full FAQ
Ready? Let's start your file
Send us a few details and we will set out the next step for your specific profile. The first consultation is free.